File to Markdown Converter

Convert documents, spreadsheets, images, and text files into clean, AI-ready Markdown. Provide a public file URL or upload a file directly in the Actor input.

Features

• URL conversion — Convert any publicly accessible file URL
• File upload conversion — Upload a local file via the input UI
• Metadata included — Get title, tokens, and processing timing (when available)
• Single-result output — Writes exactly one result item per run

Use Cases

Knowledge Base Preparation

Turn PDFs and docs into Markdown for internal documentation and search.

AI / RAG Pipelines

Convert files into Markdown to feed LLM workflows, embeddings, and agent tools.

Reporting and Analysis

Extract readable text from spreadsheets and reports for downstream processing.

Input Parameters

Provide either url or file. If both are provided, the Actor uses file.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
url	String	No	Example URL	Public file URL to convert
file	String	No	—	Upload a file using the input UI
outputFormat	String	No	json	json (recommended) or markdown (URL only)
timeoutSecs	Integer	No	30	Timeout for conversion and download steps

Output Data

The Actor stores the result in:

• Default dataset (one item)
• Key-value store record OUTPUT

Each result contains:

Field	Type	Description
success	Boolean	Whether conversion succeeded
source	String	"url" or "upload"
title	String	Best-effort title (when available)
content	String	Converted Markdown content
url	String	Original URL (URL conversions)
filename	String	Filename (uploads)
file_type	String	File extension/type (uploads)
tokens	Number	Token count (when available)
duration_ms	Number	Processing time (URL conversions, when available)
processing_time_ms	Number	Processing time (uploads, when available)

Usage Examples

Convert by URL (recommended)

{
  "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1149.txt",
  "outputFormat": "json",
  "timeoutSecs": 30
}

Convert by URL (Markdown output)

{
  "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1149.txt",
  "outputFormat": "markdown"
}

Convert by Upload

{
  "file": "(uploaded via UI)",
  "outputFormat": "json",
  "timeoutSecs": 30
}

Sample Output

{
  "success": true,
  "source": "url",
  "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1149.txt",
  "title": "rfc1149.txt",
  "content": "# ...",
  "method": "...",
  "duration_ms": 1200,
  "tokens": 850
}

Tips for Best Results

Use Public URLs

If the file URL requires authentication, upload it via the file input instead.

Start With JSON Output

Use outputFormat: "json" to keep metadata such as token counts when available.

Mind Rate Limits

If the upstream service throttles requests, reduce run frequency or space out runs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which file types are supported?

Common document, spreadsheet, image, and text formats are supported by the upstream converter.

Where is the result stored?

In the default dataset (one item) and also as the OUTPUT key-value store record.

Can I upload private files?

Yes — use the file input to upload files without needing a public URL.

Integrations

• Apify API — Fetch results from the dataset or OUTPUT record
• Make / Zapier — Trigger conversions and forward Markdown downstream
• Google Sheets / BigQuery — Store and analyze converted outputs

Legal Notice

You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to process the files and URLs you provide.